Game apparatus.



- PATENTED 001 .15,

G. M. MITLLER.

GEORGE M. MULLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y:

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application filed September 6, 1906. Serial No. 333,435.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. MiiLLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Game Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a game apparatus, and the object in view is to provide anovel contrivance which is adapted to be suspended on a wall, or othersurface, for the purpose of enabling the persons of an assemblage or atan evening gathering to play a game such, for example, as the well-knowngame of checkers.

According to this invention, I employ a game board provided with two ormore hollow reinforced edges, and suspension devices, such as cords,wires, or the like, housed or incased within said hollow edges, therebyconcealing the suspension devices and arranging them out of the way ofthe movable pieces and of the players in playing the game.

In the preferred form of the board or apparatus, it consists of foldablesections which are hinged, or otherwise flexibly connected, to enablethem to be folded compactly, or to be spread open in order to display aplaying chart. Furthermore, it is preferred to double or fold each ofthe several edges of the sections or members of the board for thepurpose of forming on each section a reinforcing margin or frame,although this specific construction may be changed or modified withinlimits. It is, also, preferred to employ the suspension cords as a meansfor holding the hinged sections in their folded positions.

The invention further consists of a game board with checker-suspensiondevices held fixedly in position on said board. The board comprises abacking and a lining with an intervening space, in which space issecured the shank of the checker-supporting device. Preferably, thesuspension device is provided with an eye or loop on the aforesaidshank, and said device is also provided with a hook opposite to theexposed face of the lining, said hook being partially embedded in orforced through an opening of the lining, for the purpose of pressing aportion of the latter into the eye of the shank, whereby each hook isheld securely in place on the game board and the said checker-suspensiondevice is not liable to change its position accidentally on the gameboard.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating my game board inan open or spread position, and adapted to be suspended for the purposeof permitting a game of checkers to be played thereon; Fig. 2 is anelevation looking at one edge of the game board, showing the same in acollapsed or folded position; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectiontaken in the plane indicated by the dotted line 33 of Fig. 1.

As shown by Figs. 1 and 2, the game board consists of sections A, B,which are flexibly connected together,

for the purpose of enabling the board to be folded compactly, and forbeing spread open in order to expose a playing chart 0. Each section A,B, is provided with an integral, marginal, reinforced frame D. As shown,more particularly by Fig. 3, the backing d of the game board, or of eachsection A, B, thereof, has each edge doubled or folded a number oftimes, as indicated at d, d 11 and 01*, for the purpose of producing thereinforced margin or frame D.

The folded edge of the backing forms a reinforced margin which is hollowand is square in cross'section, but it is evident that thecross-sectional contour of the margin or frame D may be varied ormodified, as, for example,by making the frame triangular or curved incrosssection. The fold d extends at right angles to the backing, thefold d is parallel to the backing, the fold d is parallel to the fold d,whereas the fold d is parallel to the backing and the fold d thusbringing the fold d into lapping relation or engagement with thebacking, and presenting a comparatively wide surface of said fold (5*for union with the backing, whereby said fold (1* may be cemented orotherwise attached firmly to said backing. As shown, each section A, B,is constructed with the marginal frame around the edges of its backingd, and the lengths of the frame on each section may be united in anysuitable way to produce a stiff and substantial reinforcing devicearound the section. Although I prefer to use a marginal frame which ishollow in cross-section on the several edges of each section, it is tobe understood that my invention is not to be confined strictly to theemployment of such a frame on each of the edges, because I may providethe hollow frame on certain edges, and reinforce the remaining edges ofthe frame by other means. It is important, however, to provide thehollow reinforcing frame at the side edges of the game board, for thereason that I prefer to incase or house the suspension devices for thegame board within the marginal frame, substantially as shown by Fig. 1.As shown, the suspension devices for the game board consist of cords,wires, rods, or other equivalent devices E, the same extending throughthe hollow lengths of the frame D, at the respective vertical edges ofthe game board. Each cord E, or its equivalent, extends through suitablewashers or knobs e, attached to the edge portion of the board, the endportions of each cord extending beyond the top and bottom edges of theboard, as shown. The upper ends of the cords E are provided with eyesorloops 0, with which may be detachably engaged other cords or suspensiondevices E. It is evident that the cords E may be connected together, andthat the combined cords may be fitted to a nail, or other device, on awall, door, or other surface, whereby the board may be suspended in avertical position, substantially as indicated by Fig. l. The cords E maybe disconnected from the loops 6 of the cords E, and the game board maythen be folded inwardly so that the sections A B may engage with eachother, substantially as indicated by Fig. 2, whereupon the protruding orexposed ends of the cords E on the respective sections maybe tied together for the purpose of holding the sections on the game board in afolded position, as shown by said Fig. 2.

Any suitable means may be employed for connecting the sections A, B,flexibly together, as, for example, the sections may be hinged one tothe other, but as represented by Fig. 1, a hinge-strip F, composed offabric, or other pliable material, may be united to the adjacent lengthsof the hollow reinforcing frames D, on the respective sections A, B, ofthe game board. It is evident that this strip F may be attached to theadjacent lengths of the frames D, or the strip may be attached to saidsections A, B, in any other approved or desired manner.

The playing chart 0 may be of any suitable nature, according to the gameto be played, and it may be provided on the outer surface of the backingd of the game board or its sections. As shown, however, the chart C isadapted for playing the game of checkers, and its surface is dividedinto squares extending in horizontal and vertical rows. This chart hasprinted, or otherwise vproduced thereon, a lining G, which is disposedwithin the members A, B, of the game board, said lining being parallelto the backing d, and within the marginal frame D of the respectivesections A, B. The lining may consist of paper, fabric, metal, or anyother suitable material, and it is parallel to the backing d. The liningand the backing are spaced relatively to each other by suitable means,such as an interposed strip g, the latter being between the lining andthe backing,

- and this space receives the shanks of suspending devices H, the latterbeing attached to the game board in the required positions, for thepurpose of holding the movable pieces or checkers on the playing surfaceor chart 0.

It is preferred to employ the checker suspension device H, shown by Fig.3, which device consists of a hook h, and a shank h, the latter beingprovided with an eye or loop h The lining G is provided with openings'i, at proper places, and through this opening passes the doubled orbent part of the suspending device H. The shank h, and the eye h of eachsuspending device is within the chamber g, between the backing and thelining, whereas the hook h is exposed outside of the lining and over theplaying surface orchart O of the game board. It is preferred to providethe game board with an additional perforation, or openings 1" below theopenings 11, each opening it being opposite to the eye or loop k of thesuspending device, and through this opening 71 is adapted to project theoffset k of said suspending device, whereby the offset part of thesuspending device may engage with the eye or loop k for the purpose ofholding the said device firmly in position on the game board. It will beobserved that each suspending device engages at two points with theperforated lining G, one point of such engagement being at the openingi, and the other point of engagement being where the offset 72 passesthrough the opening 1', thus connecting the shank and the hook of saidsuspending device, and preventing the latter from turning accidentallyout of position with reference to the playing surface of the game board.The shank h and the eye 72 of each suspending device may be securedfixedly in place between the backing and the lining of the game board,as, for example, by cementing the parts in place, but this is notessential, because the engagement of the hook with the eye, and theengagement of the suspending device with the game board or the lining,serves to effectually hold the said suspending device in position.

The game herein shown contemplates the employment of movable pieces orcheckers I, each of which is provided with an opening j, by which thepiece or checker may be fitted on any one of the suspending devices,substantially as shown by Figs. 1 and 3. It is preferred to make eachmovable piece or checker I of a single piece of material, and saidpieces, or certain of them may be plain or unprinted on one surface, as

shown by Fig. 1, while the other surface of all the pieces or only someof them, may be printed with the word King, as shown by Fig. 1, ,or beprovided with other suitable inscriptions or characters to denote thecapability or function of the piece.

As shown by Fig. 1, the playing surface or chart G is provided in thesquares or spaces 1:, at the respective side edges of the board withsuitable characters, emblems, or other designations c, which willdetermine the function of said spaces 0. For example, the rows ofsquares at the vertical right and left hand edges of the board areprovided with crowns, in order that the players may be advised of thefact that these rows of squares are the king rows of the checker game.

Assuming that the game board is folded, as shown by Fig. 2, to place theapparatus in position for use, the cords E are untied or loosened at thetop and bottom of the board, and the sections A, B, are opened, turningfreely on the hinged connection F. The cords E, or their equivalents,are now attached to the loops'e of the cords E, and the cords E are thenconnected to a nail, or other device, for the purpose of suspending thegame board in a vertical position, substantially as shown by Fig. l. Themovable pieces or checkers are adapted to be connected to the hooks h,so that they may be moved by the players in proper order. According tothe judgment of the individual players, when one or more pieces shallhave been moved across the board in the order of play, and according tothe rules of the game, so as to reach the hooks of the king row, thepiece or pieces are reversed, in order to present to view the word kingon one face of said piece or pieces, thus definitely fixing the functionor quality of the piece.

The character of the playing surface or chart 0 may be modified atpleasure in order that games adapted for use with movable pieces may beplayed on the game board of my invention, and I would, therefore, haveit distinctly understood that the invention is not restricted to theparticular game herein shown and described, nor, in fact, to any specialform of playing surface or chart on the game board.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A foldable game board comprising sections hinged together, eachsection having hollow edge portions which are reinforced by folding thematerial upon itself, and

suspending means attached to the respective sections and partiallyhoused within the hollow side edges thereof.

2. In a device of the class described, a. game board provided with aplurality of hollow reinforced edges, and suspension devices incasedpartially in said hollow edges and secured to said game board.

3. In a device of the class described, a foldable game board, andsuspension devices attached thereto, said suspension devices beingadapted to confine the game board in a collapsed or folded condition.

4. In a device of the class described, a game board having a backing, alining, and checker-suspending devices housed partially between thebacking and the lining.

5. In a device of the class described, a game board having an opening,and a suspending hook provided with a shank, a part of said hook passingthrough said opening, and the hook and shank engaging one with the otherfor holding the hook against displacement on the board.

(3. In a device of the class described, a perforated game board, and asuspending device passing through said perforations, each device havinga shank and a hook which engage one with the other.

7. In a device of the class described, a perforated game board, and asuspending device passing through perforations in said board, saiddevice having a hook and a shank, the latter having an eye or loopadapted to receive a part of the hook.

S. In a device of the class described, a backing, a lining, means forspacing the lining relative to the backing, and suspending devices eachprovided with a shank which is secured between the backing and thelining.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE M. MULLER.

Witnesses LoUIs ETTEINGER, H. I. BERNHARD.

